Butterfly Edge
by icor
Summary: [Cloud x Aerith] Because it doesn't matter what world you come from, or how much you even remember. Fifty themes for the 1sentence challenge, FFVIITactics.


i. Not in chronological, but theme order. It's pretty easy to get a feel for what's going on.

ii. Features Advent Children!Cloud and Tactics!Aerith.

iii. Done a while back for 1sentence over at LiveJournal.

**01; Comfort**

Cloud had never been all that confident in offering comfort, and never once succeeded in doing it particularly well—and yet Aerith would always smile at his mixed-up words and fumbled embraces; she did not want or need perfection.

**02; Kiss**

The first time he ever kissed her was in a flower field—they had taken a walk away from the city, and Cloud could think of no place more perfect for him to try and make something work in his life.

**03; Soft**

A few months passed before Aerith plucked up the nerve to do it; and Cloud found himself more than confused as the flower girl tugged off his _weird_ SOLDIER outfit and presented him with an armful of soft, _normal_ clothes she had bought in the city earlier.

**04; Pain**

All he had brought from his own world were indistinct memories and pain, the type that no amount of time could heal, and still Aerith somehow managed to banish the darkness that suited him oh so well.

**05; Potatoes**

In comparison to Gariland the food in Zarghidas was not_ bad_, but still horribly bland; however, even when they were eating potatoes for the fifth time that week on a creaky old table, Cloud could think of no where he'd rather dine.

**06; Rain**

It rained a lot in Zarghidas, and Aerith made no qualms about how much it irritated her; and Cloud could only smile, thinking back to a faded memory of a girl who dragged him through a thunderstorm, excited because she never felt the rain fall in Midgar.

**07; Chocolate**

Of the few things that made it to Aerith's world was a squashed bar of Chocobo Chocolate—Chocobo in name alone, of course—that Cloud found in his back pocket; and when he discovered how rare the substance was in this strange place, he took extra care to hide it from Ramza and his friends, as he was sure that the girl in pink would appreciate a square of it.

**08; Happiness**

There was a delusion that guided him, something that told him happiness could only truly be found in the Promised Land; and yet when he arrived back in Zarghidas after the all of the battles, and when that stranger in pink tugged off his black mage hat and wiped the blood off of his face, he forgot what he had been searching for.

**09; Telephone**

Aerith pulled the strange contraption out of his back pocket and hit it against the kitchen table, only to be puzzled by the horrified look on Cloud's face; after all, _she_ was the one with a cause for concern, notably the way that he insisted on talking into that black box.

**10; Ears**

Cloud had been wandering aimlessly around the city streets for weeks in a dull sort of sadness before Aerith came along with a stern look and dragged him away by the ear, demanding that he get his act together; telling him that he could stay with her until he managed to do so, no matter how long that might take.

**11; Name**

They walked side-by-side down the busy city streets, talking shyly for the first time and swapping _thank-yous_ with _you're-welcomes_; and when she told him her name was Aerith, deep down he felt as if he should cry.

**12; Sensual**

The bed sheets were horrible, rough and irritated his skin; her clothes were not much better, but her skin was cool and smooth in comparison, and after everything it truly made him feel alive.

**13; Death**

There was something… _strange_ about living with Aerith, strange in the way that he felt as if his only company was that of a ghost; no matter how many times his hands ran over her warm skin, no matter how many times he heard her laugh (cry, scream, shout,) and no matter how many kisses they shared, he couldn't help but feel as if death had succumbed to her.

**14; Sex**

It was not something that had ever been discussed, and so when it happened it was more than unexpected; it was awkward and new for them both, certainly not comfortable, but Aerith had never felt something so right in her life.

**15; Touch**

She reached out and touched the soft feathers of the baby chocobo, and without a second thought handed over the small mountain of gil she had worked so hard for; Aerith just hoped Cloud would appreciate his lively birthday present.

**16; Weakness**

On the surface Aerith appeared to be fearless, but in truth her one weakness was her distrust of Cloud; she loved to hear his stories, and yet they disturbed her to no end.

**17; Tears**

He walked over to Aerith's market stall as soon as he saw the silver haired man approach her and buy a whole bunch of flowers; he turned to Cloud, smiled and put a friendly hand on his shoulder as he introduced himself and complimented Aerith—despite the good nature of the conversation, Cloud felt a tear run down his face as he glared at the man's back.

**18; Speed**

Cloud had never been particularly quick to catch on to his own feelings, and so over dinner one night he quite unexpectedly blurted out "I'm in love with you," in mid conversation, his face crossed with a genuinely surprised look as realisation struck.

**19; Wind**

The wind blew through the warm summer night, and a concerned Ramza asked him whether he was going to try and return home; and he gained no answer, for the boy was too distracted by the small pink petals the wind had sent him.

**20; Freedom**

It took a while for Cloud to realise that maybe – just maybe – it _was_ better in this world, because when it came down to it he had all he ever wanted; freedom and the flower girl he lost so long ago.

**21; Life**

The way Aerith saw it, you only got one chance in life—Cloud, on the other hand, knew just how wrong she was, but always took extra care when holding her, just in case you only ever got two chances.

**22; Jealousy **

Cloud was not a jealous man by any stretch of the imagination, but there was just _something_ about that silver-haired knight who strolled through the city from time to time that frustrated him to no end.

**23; Hands**

Aerith held his hands in her own as she gently cast a healing spell over his battered body; and Cloud wasn't sure what was more soothing—the white magic or her warm breath against his neck.

**24; Taste**

Aerith laughed as Cloud spat his drink out of his mouth the moment he tasted it; he obviously had not come prepared for the foul and strong sensation of the alcohol, and so the flower girl downed the rest of hers with a smile.

**25; Devotion**

He devoted his life to using his sword to protect her from anyone who might cause his flower girl harm; she held his hand and protected him from all the evils in the world—protected him from his own broken mind.

**26; Forever**

And although I-Love-Yous should last forever, not a single day passed by when Aerith wasn't terrified that it would be their last; after all, Cloud was from a very different world, and no matter how much it pained her, she knew he yearned for it more than anything.

**27; Blood**

Cloud was still plagued by nightmares of a world he didn't remember, and indeed might not exist, and every night Aerith found herself trying and sooth him as he screamed out and cursed the blood on his hands.

**28; Sickness**

It seemed that no matter where he went he could not escape his fate, and he gradually became more and more reclusive as the geostigma spread up his arm and wrapped like ivy around his body; he was silent in a hopeless attempt to hide his sickness from her.

**29; Melody**

They listened to the music which had filtered in through the window, and Cloud was happy enough to just sit and relax; however, he was soon to learn that Aerith _always_ got her way, especially when it came to the subject of dancing.

**30; Star**

In a haze of intoxication after a little too much wine Aerith once told him that one of the stars in the sky was probably his own world, and as long as that star continued to shine then all of his friends were fine; it was a foolish thing to believe in, but the thought help kill the burning loneliness sometimes.

**31; Home**

Cloud didn't know where 'home' was after leaving Ramza's group, but soon enough he found himself in the middle of Zarghidas Trade City, happy to find the mysterious flower girl there to greet him.

**32; Confusion**

Cloud didn't quite understand the rules of Aerith's world and society, and so he was more than confused when the stunned crowd shot him harsh glares, all because he placed a kiss on the young girl's lips in the middle of the busy market.

**33; Fear**

Cloud was terrified of small spaces, and hated the tiny, cramped spare room—despite it being a very real fear it was also the perfect excuse to share Aerith's room and large bed with her.

**34; Lightning/Thunder**

It pleased Aerith in a sort of twisted-but-loving way, the way Cloud would edge closer to her and tighten his grip, giving away the childlike fear his face refused to show when thunder and lightning hit their little town.

**35; Bonds**

Cloud never did tell Aerith about her place in his world, or indeed that she had ever actually existed; but Aerith was a smart girl, and knew that there must be something that drew them together, even if it was a past life.

**36; Market**

On Saturdays Aerith worked in the city's biggest market, selling her flowers—Cloud soon realised that his rather intimidating appearance did not do her business any good, and so he would watch from a distance, keeping an eye out for any trouble and waiting to walk her home.

**37; Technology**

Technology had no place in this world, and so his phone slowly died as the battery ran out; for the week or two that it lasted he took photos of Aerith who didn't quite understand what it was or how it worked, but he never replaced the wallpaper of that young boy who reminded him so much of her.

**38; Gift**

No matter how many flowers Aerith grew and sold day in and day out, it was always much more meaningful when Cloud would come home with a handful of bright, mismatched wildflowers he had picked on the way.

**39; Smile**

Cloud smiled timidly as he laid his head on Aerith's lap and closed his tired eyes, letting her play with his hair as she whispered "well, I guess I'm stuck with you then, Cloud."

**40; Innocence**

Even though it was difficult to believe, Cloud had learnt that Aerith was not quite as innocent as she seemed; in fact, some days he felt himself blushing at the mere thought of things she could come up with.

**41; Completion**

Cloud had never collected anything other swords, and it was a collection that probably would never reach completion; Aerith often questioned this bizarre hobby, and wondered who he loved more—the swords or her.

**42; Clouds**

Sighing as she looked up at the clouds above Aerith bit her lower lip; she always worried when Cloud was late home from work, because she knew all too well fighting other people's battles was the last thing he needed to get better.

**43; Sky**

And whenever he managed to remember a little of his own world, Aerith would listening eagerly to the stories of a land of machines and technology; and when he finished speaking, she made him promise to take her there one day, so they could both ride on the airships that sailed through the sky.

**44; Heaven**

Although he did not believe in such things, Cloud felt as if he had fallen into some mortal equivalent of Heaven; true, the city was nothing special—it was dull and monotonous, in fact—but Aerith was there, and that's all he needed.

**45; Hell**

Aerith was convinced Cloud felt as if he must of fallen into Hell itself; his old world sounded so wonderful, and he seemed to love it so much, that she could not understand what it was that kept him here all these years.

**46; Sun**

The sun rose every morning and sneaked its way into their room; Cloud would awake with a groan, wrap his arms around a sleeping Aerith, and silently pray for just five more minutes.

**47; Moon**

He awoke one night to find the bed cold and empty, walked downstairs in concern and found her sitting in a daze at the kitchen table, bathed in pale moonlight; she explained in a shaky voice that those men were back, and Cloud could barely contain his anger—he did not like killing, but had made a decision a long time ago to live by the sword.

**48; Waves**

Her eyes flooded and the tears came in waves as she ran her fingers over his rotten skin; and in that moment Cloud knew her sadness hurt him more than any disease could.

**49; Hair**

He graciously took up her offer of a spare room, and was happy enough there for a few days; happy enough until she tried to wash the dirt, blood and who-knows-what out of his once blonde hair—Cloud doubts anything he experienced in this world or the last had terrified him so much as that lukewarm water, soap and comb.

**50; Supernova **

Black magic stronger than a hundred supernovas reigned down on the men, and Cloud's angered eyes reflected the explosion as they begged for forgiveness, pleading for mercy, claiming that they never once touched his girl; never hit her, never made her cry, never tried to get her to do _those_ things.


End file.
